Bruna Kakor

Christmas cookies. Two little words, but what images and memories they conjure. In my family they are tradition.I have five cookies that I make every year without fail.I have been known to add a new cookie into the mix from time to time with varied results, but I always stick to my five.

This year, I am making a change. Out with the Sugar Cut-out cookies and in with Bruna Kakor!!

Penzey’s spice shops have a magazine called One, and in the December issue there is a recipe for Bruna Kakor. From what I can tell it is Swedish, and may mean brown cake. It caught my attention because it has one of my favorite ingredients in it.Golden syrup.

Golden syrup is made from cane sugar and tastes both sweet and salty.Like honey, golden syrup is an invert sugar so it is sweeter than regular sugar.Golden syrup is also hydroscopic, which means it attracts moisture and will keep your baked goods moister and fresher longer. Good stuff!

I get mine from World Market, and from specialty stores, but I hear tell that you can find it at some grocery stores where they sell corn syrup.

I use golden syrup on grilled fruit and ice cream in the summer, and I drizzle it over oatmeal for breakfast.I used it in my Lemon Butter Cake and my Brownies to keep them moist.Now I will be using it for the cookie recipe below.

Bake them, you will not regret it!

Bruna Kakor – 4 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

2 tsp vanilla sugar

1 tsp baking soda

2 c flour

Colored sanding sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two cookie sheets with parchment.

Cream the butter, sugar, and golden syrup until well mixed.Add the vanilla and mix well.

Sift the flour and baking powder then add to the butter mixture.Mix until a ball forms.

Divide the dough into four pieces then roll each piece into a log that is about 12 inches long.

Bake the logs, two per sheet, for 18 minutes, pulling them out after 8 minutes to cover them with sanding sugar.

Once baked allow to cool for five minutes slice each log into 12 1” bars.Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Just a note though…do NOT try to substitute coconut oil for the butter. They do not bake properly. All the information I found on substitutions said you could use coconut oil 1:1 wherever you use butter. This is NOT true in this case. Trust me